James, Earl of Wessex has reportedly secured a summer job on his uncle King Charles' Sandringham estate.
The 18-year-old son of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie has been spotted getting his hands dirty working as a farmhand on the Norfolk estate, according to a new report in The Sun.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesJames left workers doing a "double take" when they noticed the monarch's nephew driving tractors and working on the organic farm. Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.
Sandringham is King Charles' pride and joy; the monarch transformed the estate into an organic farm in 2017. It boasts 2,700 hectares of farmland and around 1,200 sheep and cattle, so James will have his hands full this summer.
'Normal' life for Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's son
It comes as little surprise to see the Edinburghs' youngest child taking on a "normal" summer job. His "grounded" sister, Lady Louise Windsor, also quietly took on a part-time role helping out at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Berkshire every year.
A source previously told HELLO! that Lady Louise requested a job in the offices during her summer break from university and was "very polite and helpful" as she was put to work doing administrative tasks, such as sealing envelopes.
The insider told us: "Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward provided Lady Louise and her brother James with as normal an upbringing as possible, and this is clearly reflected in her work ethic.
© GettyHaving their children grow up "as normally as possible" was important for both the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who have encouraged them to work for a living.
The mother of two told the BBC: "Certainly when they were very young we tried to keep them out of it. Only because for their sakes, to grow up as normally as possible, we felt was quite important.
"And they're going to have to go out and get a job and earn a living later on in life and if they've had a normal a start in life they possibly can get, then hopefully that will stand them in good stead."
© Alamy Stock PhotoPrince Edward and Duchess Sophie's parenting ethos is also evident in their decision not to give their children HRH titles.
Sophie previously explained to The Sunday Times: "We try to bring them up with the understanding they will very likely have to work for a living.
"Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it's highly unlikely."
What's next for James, Earl of Wessex after school graduation?
News of James' job comes just days before the young royal will receive the A-level results that will determine his future.
It is not yet known whether the results will be made public or indeed whether James will decide to pursue higher education in the autumn.
HELLO!'s royal contributor Tracy Schaverien says: "Like hundreds of thousands of other students all over the country, James will receive his A-level results next Thursday.
© PA Images via Getty Images"If he has applied for university, he will find out whether he has achieved the grades to go his preferred institution, and if that is his plan, Buckingham Palace might announce it on results day, as they did in 2022, when his sister Lady Louise went to St Andrew’s to study English.
"James could start university next month or, he might have already decided to follow in the footsteps of many of his royal relatives and take a gap year - something Prince William and Kate, Prince Harry, Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie all did as teenagers."
It's likely that James might follow in his sister Lady Louise's footsteps and spend his time volunteering and travelling instead before embarking upon his next chapter.
One thing's for sure, however; we can expect the young royal to shy away from the spotlight, only joining his parents for major family events like he did this year at Royal Ascot and Peter Phillips' wedding.
© Getty Images"I think Prince Edward and Sophie will continue to guard James’s privacy and will carefully manage his public appearances," Tracy suggests.
"Like Princess Anne did with her children, Edward and Sophie opted for Louise and James not to be given HRH titles at birth, even though they were entitled as grandchildren of the then monarch, Elizabeth II.
"Now he's an adult, James is free to make his own decisions and take up a title if he wishes, but that is unlikely. Instead, he will probably move into further education and eventually embark on a career, as other young royals already have."
